Category Archives: Weight Loss

This might sound like an advertisement and to a degree, it is (after all, you’re on the JumpSport® trampoline blog!) but if you want the straight scoop about how easy it is to set up and use a JumpSport® Fitness™ Trampoline, read on.

As soon as our JumpSport® Fitness™ Trampoline arrived in the mail I asked my husband to help me assemble it. Little did I know that putting it together myself would have been a snap. But with his help, I was able to take photos that demonstrate the simplicity of it all.

Easy-to-understand directions ensured our success. After slipping the trampoline bed out of it’s packaging, my husband attached the six legs with the Allen wrench, included in the box. Minutes later – 10 to be exact – I was jumping on my new rebounder

The DVD that arrived with the trampoline was perfect for me, the beginning rebounder, and at the same time, ideal for me, the ex-marathon runner.

To be clear, I see myself as “athletic” but not an athlete, so I like to do an exercise routine to the max but I also want to be wise and balanced about my workouts. The JumpSport® Fitness™ trampoline helped me meet both criteria.

My 11-year old son was jazzed by watching me try out our new rebounder! He “jumped” right in, too, by following along with the exercises shown on the DVD. We took turns bouncing and encouraging each other (amidst a few goofs and giggles) as we tried to perfect each move.

Now, a few months later, I haven’t stopped bouncing. By working out 4 to 5 times a week in 30 – 60 minute sessions on my JumpSport® Fitness™ Trampoline, I’ve increased my stamina, strength, and flexibility.

Something I didn’t expect from JumpSport® was the variety of high-quality rebounding workout DVDs they produce. Each one allows me to follow routines lead by fitness professionals like Abbie Appel and Krista Popowych. The DVD’s offer viewers the option of working at a beginner, intermediate, or advanced level, giving them a moderate or challenging workout and address core, abs, balance, strength training, and more!

So don’t let your exercise routine get stale. Let it “out of the box” by adding a JumpSport® Fitness™ Trampoline to the mix and see what happens!

Welcome to my seven week series on weight loss! Why seven weeks you ask? Simply, I am going to a fitness blogging conference for JumpSport Fitness Trampolines at the end of June—Fitbloggin13 in Portland OR.

In January 2012, I gave birth to my first child. MacLaren was a wonderful addition to my life, who knew he would come with an extra 65 lbs of fat?!?!? I took being pregnant as a reason to eat anything and everything. There was not a carb I didn’t spend some quality time with. That coupled with the fact I was so tired I stopped working out, I gained a lot of weight in my first trimester.

Fast forward a year and a half so, here we are…..luckily for me, I have a willing guinea pig, partner, I mean partner… to work on this with me, my boyfriend Milt! As well as some great friends who are willing to help me stay on track—including my friend Christa who is going to walk with me twice a week. The rest is up to me.

I always thought I would pick up my work out routine again the day after I gave birth—silly, silly Rachel. I do not have the two hours it would take per day to drive to the gym, workout, shower, and drive home. I have a toddler, a boyfriend, a demanding job and a Chihuahua—all needing my attention simultaneously every waking hour (and most non-waking hours too). I was struggling with where to start getting in shape. I have lost about 20 plus pounds over the last year but not steadily and not with any formal effort. When I realized I was going to be going to a fitness blogging conference, I knew I needed to start now. That takes us back to the original question: where to begin?

How do I make losing weight fun? I need to do what I tell people to do every day when talking to gyms, dealers, bloggers, ect. I need to put FUN back into FITNESS!

Well, duh, I work at JumpSport Trampolines; it only makes sense that I start working out daily on a JumpSport Fitness Trampoline. My son is never happier then when he is bouncing.

So, maybe it is time for me to start bouncing too! I decided to use our JumpSport Fitness Trampoline PRO Series which is specifically made with a higher weight limit and larger workout surface. This works because…well, I am larger right now plus I am 5’10” and Milt is 6’7”. We needed something that we could both actually jump on.

What else would be fun? I am extraordinarily competitive, so I had to find a group of people I can compete against; with or without their knowledge. So, I have joined the rally of fitness crazed people at The Sweaty Betties for inspiration and am now participating with them on a second Diet Bet. I also dragged my willing Milt along for the ride. We both won $54 on their first Diet Bet and have another 2 weeks left on this one. I also have JumpSport Trampolines helping sponsor their second one (it’s an added bonus knowing the great Danny J). To make keeping track easier, Milt and I started wearing FitBits. Mine came courtesy of JumpSport….so I not only get to compete with my boyfriend but with all my co-workers as well. It’s not as good as doing a lay-up in the state championships, but it will have to do.

As I had hoped, this has put fun back into my fitness routine… now; I just need to find time for my routine!

The first blog, I am hoping, is the hardest to write. Otherwise I have no idea how I am going to bring you all two blogs a week for the next seven weeks! I have a new respect for all the bloggers out there! Thanks for sharing your lives with us….and thank you for indulging me while I share mine with you!

The Fitness Trampoline by Jump Sport is an at-home workout option that includes a mobile mini trampoline and DVD workouts that correspond with it. The workouts are demonstrated by Kathy Jo Burgett, Jeff McMullen and two assistants for each workout.

The JumpSport trampoline combines high quality construction with proprietary elastic cords for a safer bouncing experience. The elastic cords provide a smooth, low-impact and silent bounce which contains the jarring effect found with steel-coil spring rebounders. The trampoline’s firmness can easily be adjusted by pulling its cords tighter and placing the knots in different locations around the frame. The trampoline has a weight limit of holding 250 pounds.

PRO

3 difficulty levels to choose from

Firmness is adjustable for difficulty levels

Gives technique tips throughout the workout

Different workout options to choose from

Easy to use

Takes up little space

Its bungees eliminate the jarring effect

Can be done anywhere at anytime

CON

Injury can easily occur if not used properly

May not benefit everyone

Limited range of motion

There is a weight limit of 250 pounds

DIET and NUTRITION

This product is for exercising only and does not provide diet and nutrition guidance or recommendations.

EXERCISE

The DVDs corresponding with the JumpSport Fitness Trampoline are divided into four segments: cardio, core, strength and basic (which combines all of the above).

The core workout is the shortest, lasting 15 minutes, where as the basic workout combining everything is 30 minutes long. All other workouts are 20 minutes long. Each workout shows three different examples of difficulty levels so you may start with the beginners and work your way up to the advanced. It is recommended to start with the beginner version in order to decrease risks of injury.

The cardio workout involves different ways and techniques of jumping at different paces in different movements.The strength training section does not involve much jumping. It using the trampoline as a stabilizing object for exercises such as triceps dips. The core workout does not involve a lot of jumping either. It incorporates the trampoline by using it to sit on while performing abdominal exercises. Sitting on the trampoline adds difficulty compared to just sitting on the floor because one must balance themselves at the same time.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this is a great addition to your at-home workout programs. It’s something new, unique and fun. All of the workouts are decently short, ranging between 15-30 minutes long, therefore they’re great for those days when you’ve got a busy schedule. It can be used by all ages and fitness levels.

As many readers of this blog know, I live in sunny South Florida. It’s a fabulous place during the dead of winter what with our sandy beaches, azure skies, and palm fronds swaying, but until that “dead of winter” arrives—say January—we here in SoFla hole up in our air-conditioning, awaiting the heat to break. By the time the summer, or rainy season, comes to an end, it’s not unusual for many of us to have packed on the pounds.

Given that we are going from one air-conditioned environment to the next with little tolerance for the oft unbearable heat, we become sedentary and with no place for calories to go, and they collect in various spots around our bodies. Generally we will feel a reprieve during mid-October. The buzz is that we’re just a week or so away from a cool spell. When the humidity gives way to invigorating air and the sun’s strength dials down, all of us locals pour out of our homes and take in the delightful 70’s and 80’s temperatures. With the holidays and season for international convergence into South Florida for jet-setting fun-in-the-sun just around the corner, it’s high time for the Autumnal slim down.

Undoubtedly what’s most essential is that one doesn’t gain the weight in the first place, however, to err is human. With that said I began compiling new information regarding weight-loss and below are the pearls of contemporary wisdom associated with shedding excess or cabin-fever-accrued, weight.

Teaser: apples, broccoli, cabbage, artichokes, eggs, salmon, warm water with lemon, red clover tea, and other dark leafy vegetables can all be put on your shopping list this week.
Here goes! A fatty liver does nothing to help your weight-loss. If your liver has been inundated with alcohol, processed foods, lots of meat, or medication, you may want to consider flushing your liver to stimulate weight loss. As the liver is responsible for a variety of digestive mechanisms, it lives up to its ancient name, “life.” The article, “Fast Track Liver Detox” in Experience Life magazine written by Ann Louise Gittleman offers readers a sufficient understanding of the liver and its metabolic function as well as methods to detoxify our livers and position our bodies for successful weight-loss.News Flash: The other “IT” factor for losing weight is vitamin D. Best friend “B” had been talking about it, as she is an afternoon talk show devotee, and apparently vitamin D has been making the TV circuit. Ever the sleuth, I started to research the hubbub and learned that a vitamin D deficiency can lead to over-eating and poor insulin levels. The tidiest synopsis heralding the benefits of vitamin D comes from an article in Men’s Health, “Feed Your Fat Burner: Could a common nutrient be the antidote to an overweight America? Explore the surprising benefits of a vitamin that’s hiding in plain sight” written by Alisa Bowman. Learn how to boost your intake of vitamin D not just through sun light or supplements but vitamin D rich foods such as fatty fish and eggs that can assist you with your slim down.In addition to being aware of “Q in and Q out” (calories in and calories out), with moderate but frequent exercise (see blog post, Three Times the Charm) I’m incorporating TLC for my liver and “up-ing” the ante on my D consumption. With the holiday season just a couple of months away, let’s let the autumn-atic slim down begin!

Whether you’re planning on beaching it or hitting the slopes, a lean and clean body makes life all the more vibrant!

Every week, I receive an email from SeaBreeze Organic Farms. This is thee place to get local meats, eggs, cheeses, milks, and more. Usually the email begins with a “Don’t forget your cooler” (they make local stops where people pick up their orders), but the subject of this email was “Grain-fed versus grass-fed beef.

I thought this would make an interesting topic this week. In addition to doing research on beef, I decided to include eggs, after all, the variety of egg cartons and verbiage on each can be quite confusing.

Let’s begin with beef. For many years, ranchers released their cattle to pasture to feed on grasses, clovers, and wild onions. As the demand for food became greater, the majority of those in the agribusiness chose to feed their cattle corn. In one reference from an NPR story, this was analogous to going from eating spinach to hearty oatmeal; the corn fattened the beef up quicker and subsequently the meat was ready for market sooner.

Today grass-fed beef is just the way it was. Cattle forage on the range. They are leaner than their corn fed counterparts and as such have less fat, or marbling. Blind taste tests suggest that grass-fed beef is chewier and has a distinct flavor from the various grasses the cow has eaten. Corn-fed beef on the other hand provides that “melt in your mouth” feel absent in the chewier, grass-fed.

Grass-fed beef tends to be more expensive than grain-fed although, with the drought in the midwest, that may change. Most supermarkets now offer both qualities of meats so you can taste it for yourself. As far as eggs are concerned, you have probably seen these labels: organic, vegetarian, cage-free, free-range. All of these have meanings but are difficult to discern without any poultry knowledge; fortunately, I am a proud member of the Palm Beach Poultry Fanciers so I have a little insight on the subject. Free-range chickens are those that have a chance to go outside and feed on whatever is growing outdoors. Chickens love to peck on insects, grass, and even other chickens (hence the cages). Free range chickens lay an egg with a much darker yolk than those that are fed a vegetarian diet. Cage free eggs mean that the chickens are allowed to roam around the hen house. Some cage free farms offer their chickens pine or straw bedding with nesting boxes. It depends on the farm, however, how much room the hens have to move about. Organic eggs are those whereby the hens are fed organic feed. The feed needs to be grown on certified organic land, no pesticides or herbicides. The hens are kept healthy without the use of antibiotics, hormones or other drugs. They may not consume genetically modified crops.

Vegetarian hens are those that eat only grains. Unlike free range hens that consume grubs, worms, and other forms of insect protein, vegetarian hens feed only on seeds and grains. The yolks of these eggs tend to be much lighter in contrast to those that are free-range.

So there you have it; a basic idea of grass, grain, vegetarian, organic, cage-free. Now when you visit your butcher or your grocery you can have a better idea of how your meat and eggs are raised. Keep me posted about your shopping experience and if you decide to choose grass-fed beef or try a new variety of egg, let me know if there is a difference in taste. You can write your story here on the blog, at the JumpSport Fitness Facebook page or @Fittrampoline on Twitter.

My summer travels have served as muses for this blog. Last week’s Top 20 was inspired by my time in Seattle and Vancouver. The exercise program on-the-go was completely selfish as the kids and I are nomadic for the month of July. Here on our stop in Lake Tahoe, California visiting my mom, another muse poked her head around the corner when my mom told me the news that she has Celiac Disease. This translates to the need for gluten-free foods.

I’ll admit, as the mother of two small children, I comb the grocery aisles often and in the last couple of years, the phrase “Gluten-free” has been appearing on a startling number of food products. Candidly, I ignored the label as it didn’t seem to relate to my family or just left it as a gestalt understanding that in some way, gluten-free foods had their role.

Lo-an-behold! Enter my mother’s kitchen, and I see the pantry has had an overhaul. My mom explained to me that her belly was so distended she felt pregnant and that she suffered from an inability to keep food down. In addition, her skin was “like crepe paper” and the integrity of her largest organ was in very bad shape. After talking with her doctor and undergoing lab tests, she was ultimately diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, 1 out of 133 people are inflicted with this autoimmune disease. It is not, as I had thought, a food allergy that can sometimes be out- grown. Rather, CD affects the villi (tiny hairs in the small intestine that abosrb nutrients from food). When a person with CD consumes gluten, the common name for the proteins in specific grains, these villi are damaged. Hence a person with CD can suffer from symptoms like the ones my mom deals with, as well as chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, weight gain or loss, chronic diarrhea or constipation (or both), bone or joint pain, dental enamel defects, etc.

In order to quell the disease and begin the healing of the villi, a person with CD must avoid all food and medical products made with gluten or that have traces of gluten in them. A quick but certainly not complete list of foods that contain gluten include: wheat, barley, spelt, oats, pastas, imitation bacon, energy bars, croutons, and imitation seafood to name just a few. The Celiac Disease Foundation’s website is an authorative resource for anyone with CD, anyone suspecting they may have CD, or for a caregiver of a person with CD. There are also convenient brochures like this one that explains Celiac Disease, the symptoms associated with it, and how to treat it.

Since being diagnosed with CD and purging her pantry and refrigerator of all things gluten, my mother’s health has improved significantly. Her neighborhood supermarket, Trader Joe’s, was especially helpful when she needed assistance making the gluten free transistion. Trader Joe’s offers customers a six-paged print-out of all the items in their store that are gluten-free. I would imagine that other supermarkets are becoming just as vigilant for their customers.

Mom’s skin integrity is improving, and she is finally getting the nutrients from foods that her body needed. To my surprise, gluten-free, is not just some catch phrase like “fat-free;” indeed, it is a lifesaving label for those with gluten sensitivity. If you or anyone in your family suspects they have CD, visit your health pracitioner and take the necessary tests to find out. CD is an inherited disease and if someone in your family had or has CD, there is of course a chance that you or your children may have it too. In addition to your health care provider, the Celiac Disease Foundation is an invaluable resource for answering questions about gluten free foods, lifestyle changes, support groups and more.

Fortunately food and beverage companies are taking heed of the growing number of those diagnosed with CD and transitioning to a gluten-free lifestyle is easier than you may think.

Until next week, stay healthy, get some fresh air, and don’t forget to wear your UVA/UVB sunblock!

With summer in full swing, I offer you a bucket list to make the most out of the season, enjoy!

The summer is ripe for the picking and offers innumerable opportunities to engage our bodies, our minds and our energy to doing good things. Whether to enrich your own understanding of your environment or lend a hand to your community, the warm weather provokes memory making and out of door activity. Take advantage of the long daylight hours, balmy temperatures and sojourn from the everyday grind to relax, breathe new life into your routine and strengthen your sense of belonging to the world.

20 Things to Guide You Outside:

1. Plant a garden! From pots to plots, consider a palette that incorporates native plants for wildlife, herbs, flowers, and edibles. Visit botanical gardens or clip out images that appeal to you and make them your own.
2. Whatever floats your boat! Pick up some inexpensive floaties, tubes or “suped-up” noodles and jump in the local pool, lake, or ocean and just enjoy bobbing in an aquatic environment.

3. BBQ: find some new recipes and try your hand at cooking outside. Experiment with kabobs that include fruit, root vegetables, or pound cake!
4. Garage sale: host one or go to them. Clean out clutter in your house and make some extra money for a field trip or two, or find something new to collect and enjoy the hunt of finding that special item.
5. Photo expedition: birds, clothes on a line, dogs, rooflines, alley ways, etc.. Whatever image you find appealing, from post offices to moss, get out there and shoot!
6. Leaf press, dry herbs, create a floral arrangement. Lavender wands, dried rosemary, or a bouquet of “weeds” are fun crafts to do by yourself or with others.
7. Make a lemonade stand, and your loot can go to your adventures or to a special cause.
8. Take a bike ride. Rent bikes or load yours into your car, the train, or a bus and cruise around an area on a two-wheeler. This unique mode of travel can give you an original perspective of any neighborhood, city, or trail.
9. U-pick: head out to a nearby farm and pick your own fruits and vegetables. Close your eyes as you taste produce that you picked yourself.
10. Volunteer at a local animal shelter and offer to walk dogs or clean up paths.
11. Learn about local architecture and take a look around; put theory into action and cultivate an appreciation for windows, columns, gingerbread and vernacular building styles.
12. Host a movie under the stars; classics, family or sci-fi-put up a screen (sheet), borrow a projector and voi la! An event is made.
13. Make s’mores. Whether you own a fire pit or use the park’s grills, organize a gang to roast marshmallows and create this classic American treat.
14. Pitch a tent: borrow a tent from a friend and set it up in the backyard or a local camp site. There’s nothing like sleeping in the confines of a modern lean-to.

15. Dry the laundry on a line. Save energy and freshen up your clothes and linens by hanging your sheets, clothes and blankets on the line or fence to air dry.
16. Clean up the environment: help weed out nonnative invasive plants, plant native ones, and clean up garbage from natural areas.
17. Have a breakfast picnic. Pancakes on a griddle, oatmeal in a crock pot, or homemade granola. Roll out of your jammies and enjoy breakfast in a park, on a lawn, or at the beach.
18. Bring your JumpSport Fitness trampoline outside and have your workout in the fresh air.
19. Support community redevelopment: offer your time to paint, sand, sweep, run tools for a local group that helps repair or build housing, or participate in building preservation.
20. Learn to ID birds and local flora and fauna.

As we begin to enter the heart of summer, what are your plans to reap the sunshine? What types of experiences have you already cultivated or have circled on your calendar? Maybe you have taken on tye-dying or basket-weaving? If so, take pictures and post them here on the blog or on the JumpSport Fitness Trampoline™ Facebook page. You can even upload images from Instagram onto the Twitter, @FitTrampoine.

Have fun!!

Heidi Aspen Rhoades
Social Media Correspondent and Fitness Professional
@aTweetFit